The 50 Weirdest Items Left in an Uber

We’ve all been there: you get out of your car service, only to realize you left something behind as the car drives away. While typically it’s a phone or wallet, some people are losing items that are, let's say, a little bit more unique. So, to acknowledge the most forgetful riders, Uber decided to create a Lost & Found Index, giving a glimpse into what riders are leaving behind.

"Millions of riders from all walks of life ride with Uber, and the objects that get left behind reflect that," Sylvie Brew, Community Operations Manager at Uber, tells Condé Nast Traveler. "The forgotten items we most often see are mundane, but it's objects like a smoke machine or potted plant that remind us of how diverse and delightful our riders are."

When it comes to the most commonly forgotten items, phones and rings reign supreme, with keys, wallets, glasses, purses, IDs, gloves (or just one of them), chargers, and sunglasses rounding out the top ten. But what were some of the strangest discoveries? According to Uber, items discovered in the back of drivers' cars have included a bulletproof vest, an elf cut-out, tasers, copies of Crime and Punishment, paintings, an engagement ring, a chair, Nordic walking poles, Harry Potter glasses, and a lobster. We won’t ask questions.

The worst leave-behind offenders? Residents of Los Angeles, which Uber deemed the most forgetful city in North America, with New York City coming in second and San Francisco, Chicago, and Miami comprising the rest of the top five. The ride-sharing company even looked at the most common days to report items as lost: Sunday was the number one day, likely due to riders forgetting items (among other things) from the night before, while Monday (not exactly the best day of the week) actually came in fourth, with Saturday and Friday beating it out.

More data revealed that October 30 was the most "forgetful" day in 2016, and that some items are more likely to be lost on certain days when compared to the rest of the week. For example, they saw the biggest spike in lost wedding dresses on Sunday. People lost skateboards on Mondays, swimsuits more on Tuesday, notebooks on Wednesdays, suitcases on Thursdays, briefcases on Fridays and plane tickets on Saturdays.